Jazz legend John Scofield returns to the Berks Jazz Fest

Long considered one of the finest jazz guitarists in the world, John Scofield has spent a lifetime unintentionally raising the bar for all musicians to follow. Whether in the realm of jazz-fusion, funk, bebop, blues, rock or soul, there isn’t much that Scofield hasn’t mastered. Working with numerous iconic artists in the field of jazz and beyond (a long list including Miles Davis, Mike Stern, Charles Mingus, Jaco Pastorius, Pat Martino, Herbie Hancock and Joey DeFrancesco), Scofield is looking forward to returning to the Berks Jazz Fest and a new album release.

Following a month long tour of Europe, Scofield has assembled a group of some of his favorite musicians to form the Hollowbody Band, one of the headliners at this year’s “Berks Jazz Fest.”

“People can hear me and Mike Stern, who is a contemporary of mine and is one of the greats of jazz guitar,” says Scofield. “The idea of this band is what happens when two like minded jazz guitar players get together and make a quartet sound. We’re really going to be playing off of each other accompanied by Bill Stewart, modern genius of the drums, and Ben Street, phenomenal acoustic jazz bass player. We’re going to stay in the acoustic jazz realm. We won’t be playing too psychedelic. The music is mainly about the interplay with the band and the sound of two guitars orchestrating the music together. Mike Stern and I are from a certain era in music where rock and jazz were really combining and where the guitar was coming into the forefront of jazz. We were the generation that started with rock when we were kids. Bach or Beethoven said, ‘The only thing more beautiful than a guitar is two guitars.’ And it’s true. It’s that classic sound that people like us know about from rock and roll.”

With an increasing number of jazz artists struggling to survive, Scofield recognizes the heightened importance of the Berks Jazz Fest and what it provides for him and his contemporaries.

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“It’s a great event,” says Scofield. “They’ve developed an audience over the years, and now they’re one of the names on the jazz festival circuit. A lot of that is due to the organization of some people who really love the music that just pushed it through in the early years, and now people come from all over. It’s really great to be a part of this.”

With dozens of solo and collaborative recordings to his credit, Scofield is about to release his latest masterpiece.

“I have a new album that is coming out at the very end of May that’s with my Uberjam group,” says Scofield. “It’s a different group than the thing with Stern. It’s another two guitars, bass and drums - kind of an electronic, more R&B funk hip-hop jazz type of thing called ‘Uberjam dux.’”

Scofield entered the world of modern jazz while attending the Berklee College of Music in the mid 70’s. The guitarist left Berklee when offered a chance to record with Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan. Soon thereafter, he joined the Billy Cobham/George Duke Band.

He released his eponymous debut album in 1977, before forming what has become his signature trio with jazz bassist Steve Swallow and initial drummer Adam Nussbaum, who was replaced by Bill Stewart one year later.

Enlisted by Miles Davis to join his band in the mid 80’s, Scofield participated in the recording of Davis’ “Star People” (1983), “Decoy” (1984) and “You’re Under Arrest” (1985) albums. He eventually departed that band to pursue solo work and collaborative projects.

“Mike Stern, me, Jaco Pastorius, Pat Matheny - that whole generation - we started with rock and soul and blues and got into jazz and brought that into jazz,” recalls Scofield. “In the 70’s and early 80’s, when we all kind of made a splash in the music business, there was more room for that because it was just a time when the music was changing. I think we were lucky to come up in that era.”

Over the past two decades, Scofield has relentlessly pursued his passion by recording and performing at a feverish pace while working with a diverse group of luminaries such as Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny, Randy Brecker, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Phil Lesh and Mavis Staples.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play close to 200 shows a year for many years now,” says Scofield. “It’s a great joy, I’ve gotta say, making this music with my friends. I’m kind of hooked on it. I got to play with all my idols, and it’s been so great playing with these guys. Sometimes I don’t believe some of the people I’ve played with. I have great memories.”

Scofield is currently serving as an adjunct faculty member in the Jazz Department at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education. In 2010, he was named an Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.

“I am surprised by the level of success that I have attained,” says Scofield. “When I started out I just wanted to be part of the scene. I just wanted to be able to do music in one way, shape or form for my living. If that meant working in a guitar store giving guitar lessons that would have been it. To actually be able to lead a comfortable life with my wife and our kids and have this great existence….” added Scofield, “Sometimes I’m really shocked that I get to play guitar solos for a living. It’s great.”

John Scofield’s Hollowbody Band, featuring Mike Stern, Ben Street and Bill Stewart, will play Gerald Veasley’sJazz Base Crowne PlazaReading, located at 1741 Papermill Road, Wyomissing, PA 19610, on Friday, April 5, 2013 at 7 p.m.. and 10 p.m. General admission tickets are $38and can be purchase at the VF Outlet Box Office at the Sovereign Center, Seventh and Penn Streets, Reading, PA or by phone at 215-336-2000. For more information go to www.berksjazzfest.com.

About the Author

A Philadelphia based music journalist for over 30 years, Rob has interviewed, reviewed and photographed hundreds of well-known musicians and athletes. Working with almost every major music venue in the Philadelphia area, his writing has appeared in a variety of entertainment publications and newspapers. His work can frequently be found in print and on the web in the 21st Century Media newspapers. Rob resides in Phoenixville, Pa. Reach the author at (Unknown address)
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